“In the coming weeks, three shows will open with casts that are entirely or nearly all nonwhite. Two furthur productions feature African-American stars in roles that are traditionally played by white thesps. Is this influx of ethnicity a noteworthy coincidence, or simply a sign that diversity is becoming the Broadway norm?”
Tag: 01.25.08
Publisher Judith Regan Settles With News Corp Over Firing
“The settlement spares both sides from what could have been a nasty trial. At the time of Regan’s firing, her attorney had promised ‘war,’ not an unrealistic threat from the famously temperamental publisher.”
Whitney Closing A Branch
The Whitney Museum is closing its 42nd Street branch, after sponsor Altria pulls out of Manhattan. “In 25 years, the Altria branch has presented 110 exhibitions and hundreds of performances and events, the museum said.”
North Korean Orchestra To Play London?
“North Korea’s State Symphony Orchestra may be planning to play three concerts in Britain this September, its largest tour to date.”
How Recordings Killed Music
“They have conditioned audiences to expect an inhuman degree of performance accuracy, comparable to what a recording studio’s editing team can produce by patching together the best moments from multiple takes. Critics, meanwhile, judge performances by the degree of textual fidelity to the ‘urtext’ — a score that tries to reproduce the composer’s original intent.”
Just Who Are Those People Who Review Books For Amazon?
Like celebrity bloggers and Wikipedia “Gnomes,” then, the Top Amazon Reviewer heralds the arrival of a curious hybrid: part customer, part employee. This feels like a loss.
A Computer Screen In Your Eye
Researchers are working on contact lenses that could display information on it. The lenses “could use the electronic lens as a cell-phone display, to see who is calling and to watch videos during a commute.”
Bruce Nauman Has Mixed Feelings About Venice Biennale
“It’s very much an honor to be invited, but on the other hand it involves a lot of older work, and it’s hard to deal with that – having to rethink it, how to reinstall it. Even though that’s supposed to be the curator’s job, you can’t avoid taking part. But I do enjoy Venice – and that’s the good part.”
Waiting (And Waiting) On A Da Vinci Follow up
“Now that Harry Potter — the only bigger publishing phenomenon of the age — is retired, no book has been as eagerly awaited as Dan Brown’s next novel, purported to be about freemasonry and the Founding Fathers. The problem is, it is still awaited…and awaited…and awaited.”
Alberta Gives A Boost To Arts Funding
The Canadian province will pump $12 million more into arts funding. “Culture contributes greatly to our quality of life and is the lens through which the rest of the world views our province.”